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After a torrent of criticism, Scholastic has decided to stop distributing 

, a picture book about one of George Washington's slaves.


The historical book tells the story of Hercules, a slave used by the president as his chef. It shows Hercules and his daughter Delia happy and taking pride in making Washington a birthday cake.

Almost as soon as the book was released, it received withering criticism for whitewashing the history of slavery.

 that the book contained images of smiling slaves in almost every page. But it cautioned that this was not the same kind of story that had played out just months before when 

, another story about happy slaves making sweet treats, was eviscerated by critics.


the review notes, was published by a totally white creative team. 

 was written, illustrated and edited by a diverse group of people of color, including editor Andrea Davis Pinkney, who is black and a winner of the Coretta Scott King Award.
Pinkney, in fact, 

wrote a long essay in defense of the book

. American history, she wrote, is a messy and nuanced affair and, yes, some slaves found happiness in some of their tasks. Pinkney writes:


Ramin Ganeshram, the author of the book who is of Iranian-Trinidadian descent, wrote her own defense 

in a post for the Children's Book Council

, contributing editor Demetria Lucas D'Oyley dismissed those explanations. The book, she says, conveniently leaves out that Hercules escaped from Mount Vernon.
"Slaving, literally, over a hot 18th century stove to bake a cake for a man who has you 

in bondage ain't happiness or pride," D'Oyley writes. "It's duty. It's survival. It's busy work to pass the time while you're plotting your escape."


Eventually, Scholastic ended up agreeing with critics and pulled the book. In a statement it said it respected the "integrity and scholarship of the author, illustrator, and editor" but without more context on the "evils of slavery," the book may leave kids with "a false impression of the reality of the lives of slaves."

 essay notes one other thing the story leaves out, but addresses in an author's note: Hercules did ultimately escape. But he also left his daughter Delia behind and she remained enslaved.  Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


An earlier version of this post noted that the book left out that Hercules escaped and left his daughter behind. The story leaves that out, but the book addresses this fact in an author's note. 

Arts and Culture

The Thread® - Books and Literary News

The book tells the story of Hercules, a slave whom George Washington used as a chef. The book shows Hercules and his daughter happy and taking pride in making the president a birthday cake.

Amid controversy, Scholastic pulls picture book about Washington's slave

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